History notes
1/14/08
What is history? It is a study of the past. It is the story that has survived. When does it begin? You need proof, records, etc. 4000-5000 BC. River valleys. Fertile soil, moisture, utilize irrigation which leads to society. Civilization spreads through trade acculturation – less complex societies imitate more complex to become that way.
The Greeks and Hellenic civilization
Greece is part of the Mediterranean. It is a large sea that divides three continental masses Europe, Africa, and Asia. The Mediterranean is an important node of civilization because of transportation and food. The Aegean sea is at the center of the Greek world. The vast majority of the islands in the sea are Greek. So Greek civilization starts as an Aegean civilization. Chronology – from chronos and logos, time in a sequence. Events take place sequentially. In order to understand history, we must understand sequence of events.
Minoan Period – 2000-1500
Mycenaean Period – 1500-1200
Homeric Age/Dorian Invasions – 1200-800
Age of the Polis – 800-300
Archaic – 800-500
Golden - 500-300
Hellenistic - 300-150
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minoan_civilization
Minoans – Centered on Crete. We don’t know what they are called. Their language is called Linear A. we have archaeological knowledge of them, but that is about it. Also have Greek mythology, what was said about Minoans. There is the myth of Minos. It is the story of the labyrinth and the minotaur. Historian dug in Knossos. Labeled in the palace of Minos. So Minoan civilization begins on Crete. Art shows prominence of women. Prevalent theory was it ended because of natural disaster in Mediterranean, resulting in tidal waves and volcanic ash.